The Doctor Becomes One
by GeekyChemist
Summary: The 10th Doctor is about to regenerate when he decides he doesn't want to go. Will the help of the TARDIS and Bad Wolf help him get the ending with Rose he deserves. Even through his clone? *my "what if" about the 10th doctor and his clone during regeneration. Ties together scenes from last episode of season 4. Can easily continue w/11th doctor. Happy Ending! RosexTen
1. Man With a Purpose

The Doctor solemnly watched as Wilfred and Sylvia Noble gave Donna the lottery ticket. Her wedding present. He saw Donna's reaction and couldn't help but smirk. He'd forgotten how much she loved to shout. As Wilfred and Sylvia were bent over, excited by the chance of that lottery ticket being the winning ticket, the Doctor knew he'd done the right thing. The proper thing. Donna Noble and her family had had a rough year, it was time they had something good happen.

Both Wilfred and Sylvia turned and looked at the Doctor. Grief and despair heavy in their eyes. They knew what was coming. Wilfred saluted the Doctor, as he fought back his tears. A cool spring breeze glided past the Doctor, slightly ruffling his hair and coat as he gazed back at them. As the Doctor turned and started walking back into his TARDIS, Wilfred felt warm tears falling down his face. This man, this strange, alien man—no, he was not an alien. Wilfred realized he was more than just that. He was a man, a man who had saved him from radiation poisoning, a man he would have loved to have had as his son. And he was dying.

The Doctor opened the TARDIS door and walked inside. He couldn't help but feel comforted by the humming sound the TARDIS made as he closed the door. A great surge of pain flashed down his chest at that moment. Taken by surprise, the Doctor gasped and leaned heavily against the door. He couldn't help but chuckle exasperatedly as a thought came into his head.

"Blimey! Consuming the Time Vortex to save Rose didn't hurt this badl-"

His voice stopped when he thought of Rose. Everything stopped when he thought of Rose. The day on the beach, when he left his meta-crisis self on the beach with her flashed through his head.

_When I last stood on this beach, on the worst day of my life, what was the last thing you said to me? Go on, say it._

The Doctor grimaced. He wanted to say it, was going to say it, but couldn't. He knew if he had told her she would not have stayed with his meta-crisis self. Before he could fall deeper into that dark moment, another wave of pain flashed through him. He was dying and didn't have long left. Leaving the door, he stumbled his way up to the console.

"I have to see Rose," he whispered, "even if it's the last thing I do."

The TARDIS was traveling through the Time Vortex, taking the Doctor on another short journey, when it suddenly landed. The Doctor looked up from where he had been sitting on the captain's chair. He had no idea what year, or day, it was; but, he trusted the TARDIS and knew he was where Rose would be. Gently getting down from the captain's chair, the Doctor walked over to one of the corals and grabbed his jacket. He grimaced as he slid one arm at a time through the sleeves. With the jacket on, he opened the TARDIS door and stepped outside.

The ground crunched as he stepped out. It was cold, and there was snow all around. He turned his head and looked around and noticed he was at the Powell Estate. There were Christmas lights strung everywhere, and only a few people outside on their balconies. It was unusually quiet, but the Doctor didn't care, he only had one thing running through his head. Struggling to walk, the Doctor made his way towards the building Rose, his Rose, lived in.


	2. A Tearful Goodbye

As he turned the corner, he looked up. He saw balconies covered in lights, and wreaths, and peered at her flat. He grimaced as he saw the windows were dark. He was turning around, getting ready to leave when he heard a voice, her voice.

"Get rid of him mum, he's useless!"

"Listen to you! With a mechanic!"

The Doctor couldn't help but softly laugh. Hearing Rose bicker with her mum, Jackie, brought back memories. Memories like Christmas Day with the Sycorax. The Doctor sighed. That was a long time ago, a lifetime ago.

"Don't stay out all night!"

"Try and stop me."

The Doctor froze. The voices were close to where he was standing. Shortly after, the Doctor heard what sounded like footsteps walking towards where he was. Quickly, he hid himself by a wall, letting the shadows fall over his face. A moment later Rose walked around the corner. He watched as she wrapped her arms around her, trying to keep herself warm. As she looked up at the sky, the Doctor gave a small smile.

Even before we travel together, she looks up at the stars.

His smile quickly faded, though, as an intense pain shot down his chest to his abdomen. He cried out and clutched his stomach. He could feel his body failing.

"Are you alright, mate?"

The Doctors head shot up quickly as he turned to Rose. She was watching him, worry etched all over her face.

He dropped his head and quickly stated, "Yeah". He didn't want to, he couldn't, let her see him. If she saw his face now, she'd recognize him when he regenerates in her future. The paradox that would occur almost made him shiver.

"Too much to drink?"

He looked back up at her, noticing she was smiling and trying to lighting up the situation. He smiled. It was so much like her to do.

In his head, the scene replayed where he saved Wilfred from the inevitable radiation poisoning that happened when he consumed all the radiation. "Something like that."

"Maybe it's time you went home."

With his face tight, he looked back at her. When he looked at her all he saw was the laughs they shared, the smiles they'd given, the hugs they'd done, and the holding of hands they always did. That's when he saw, he was already home.

"Yeah."

"Anyways," she gave him that big, contagious smile of hers, "Happy New Years!"

"And you". She turned her back to the Doctor and started to walk to the door of her building when the Doctor called out, "What year is this?"

Startled, Rose quickly turned around and looked at him. First shocked then amused, Rose chuckled, "Blimey! How much have you had?"

The Doctor gave her a one shoulder shrug, "Well…"

Rose nodded slowly at him as she told him, "2005, January the first."

The Doctor nodded once, "2005."

Rose, nodding back, wrapped her arms tighter around her. The cold was starting to get to her.

"I tell you what," the Doctor said as his voice broke. He gave a tight smile and replied with a tight voice, "I bet you're going to have a really great year."

Rose smiled slowly, breathlessly asking, "Yeah?"

The Doctor couldn't help but smile at her hope, and nodded, confirming her year would be fantastic.

Slowly turning to the door, Rose tried, but failed to hide back a smile. Smiling wide, she turned to fully face the Doctor, "See ya!"

Smiling, the Doctor watched as Rose ran to her building's door. As she opened the door and slipped in, Rose gave one last quick glance at the stranger, her Doctor, and ran every other step up the stairs.

Taking a deep breath to steady his breathing, the Doctor watched her as she disappeared inside the building. He doubled over as another wave of pain ran through him, stronger this time. With a hand on the wall, the Doctor limped away from where he was standing. As he was limping away, the Doctor did not take note of the poster hanging on the wall behind him, with its white words written in different handwritings; however, they all said the same two words. Bad Wolf.

When the Doctor entered the TARDIS, he leaned heavily against the door. He could still hear the universe singing to him. The words Ood Sigma had told him were running through his head.

This song is ending, but the story never ends.

Bracing himself against the railing, he threw his coat over the coral and made his way up to the console. As he set the coordinates for the TARDIS to rest in space, for his last time, the Doctor could feel the regeneration process starting. Walking around the console one last time, taking in everything he'd done in this life, all the companions he'd loved, he realized he wasn't ready to leave. He wasn't ready to leave everybody he loved. Especially, Rose.

"I don't want to go."


	3. A TARDIS Intervention

The TARDIS watched as the Doctor, her Doctor, struggled with the reality that this was the end for this regeneration. His favorite regeneration. She had been in his mind, trying to sooth him as the inevitable came, and she saw his pain. Saw his sadness in leaving those he loved and travelled with, and the regret that followed by thinking of one of his companions. The only companion that could hurt him like she had. Rose Tyler.

The TARDIS knew the Doctor had missed Rose since the first moment at Bad Wolf Bay, when Rose Tyler was stuck in the parallel universe. Even throughout the time the Doctor travelled with Martha and Donna. And when Rose had reappeared, when the Earth was moved, the Doctor gained his old view of life again; only to have to leave him, again. There had been many companions her Doctor had loved. But this companion had been the only one the Doctor had loved to this degree.

At that moment the TARDIS knew. She had to find a way to get her Doctor back to Rose Tyler. As the Doctor slowly walked around the console, the TARDIS quietly scanned his mind for anything, anything at all that could get him with Rose Tyler. While peering at his recent memories, the TARDIS came across a moment. The moment where the meta-crisis Doctor was born. The TARDIS did not know why, but when the biological meta-crisis had occurred, she had been shocked it had happened. Because, in reality, that should have never been possible. It went against everything that was right and ordered in this Universe. Thus the reason why Rose Tyler had to go back to the parallel world with the meta-crisis. Unless… The TARDIS stopped scanning his memories as he came to a stop. She had to think fast, as her time was almost over.

Theoretically, I could create a tear in the fabric of reality. Then, using the power of the Time Vortex, I could propel my Doctor's atoms into the tear and send him through to the parallel universe. However, I'd need the Doctor to regenerate violently… resulting in me being damaged.

The TARDIS thought process ceased when she heard her Doctor whimper, "I don't want to go."

Determined to go through with her plan, despite the consequences, the TARDIS sent an increased pulse of rage in to the Doctor's head. She watched as his regeneration process combusted outwards, consuming her in flames. As the flames engulfed her, the TARDIS opened the Time Vortex.

This is my chance.

Gathering his scattered atom's into her Time Vortex, the TARDIS shook with an explosion fierce enough to not just break her paneling and glass, but to propel his scattered atoms into the void.


	4. New Beginnings

Morning had come to London that day, and everybody was getting prepared to go about their usual routine. Taxis' honked, stranger's talked on their mobile phones, and people watched the morning news.

Today's looking to be a load of rain early in the morning, but it's goin' clear up and be beautiful come lunch time!

"Doctor, I've got eggs and toast!" Rose eagerly called out. It had been three months since the Doctor had left her with the meta-crisis Doctor. At first she had some problems, what with him looking like the Doctor and talking like him. After much confusion, they both decided that he should be called John Smith, but that he'd remain the Doctor for just her. With the differences settled, the Doctor and Rose decided to leave Pete and Jackie's to go the domestic approach. With doors and carpets. Though it was just a flat, the Doctor didn't want to get a house. He kept telling Rose, "We'll be flying off anyways once the TARDIS grows."

Rose couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Here she was, living the domestic life with the Doctor. The life he was so adamant back in the impossible planet would never happen.

Funny, how the universe works.

Rose frowned when she realized the Doctor still hadn't come out of their bedroom.

"Doctor!" Rose called out as she banged the door, "Doctor if you don't come out I'll add pear slices to your toast!"

The door swung open and there stood the meta-crisis Doctor smiling widely. He looked the same as the Doctor, talked the same, thought the same, he even smelled the same. Rose smiled back and handed him the plate, "Blimey, what took ya so long?"

She gently kicked his bum when they started walking down the hallway together, "World War 3 could have started and you'd be busy getting ready."

The Doctor sat down in the table and smiled wider, "If I remember correctly," he teased, "We already did that in Downing Street with the Slitheen. Remember?"

Rose smiled at him with her tongue slightly slipping out, "Is that a challenge?"

The Doctor stood up as he laughed. He walked over to the cabinets and grabbed a mug calling out to Rose, "You know I hope the TARDIS grows soon cause I don't know how long I can handle this domestic—".

The mug the Doctor grabbed fell from his hands and on to the floor, breaking into a thousand pieces. Rose quickly looked up from her plate and turned her head towards the Doctor. She saw he had gone very rigid, and was staring out into nothing. She stood up from her chair slowly and walked towards the Doctor. As she was about to ask the Doctor what was wrong, the Doctor gasped, "The void, it's been opened." He turned and stared at her. "Something's entering this universe."

Rose froze. She quickly looked around to see what they could use to stop this oncoming threat. As she scanned the flat she saw their TARDIS growing in a pot. That was out of the equation. There was also no Sonic Screwdriver, since they needed a TARDIS to make one. With no idea as to how to stop the oncoming threat, Rose quickly turned to the Doctor. Her face paled as she saw him bent over, one hand on the counter.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" asked Rose anxiously. "Doctor, please, tell me! What's wrong?"

As the Doctor turned to answer her, a yellow glow materialized from the air, forming a group of scattered regeneration atoms. Rose took a step back as she recognized the atoms and what they meant.

"Doctor, please," Rose cried, "Please, don't!"

The scattered atoms entered the Doctor's body, and Rose felt as though her world was closing in around her. She watched as the Doctor gasped and started spitting out random words and phrases. Suddenly, the Doctor gasped in a deep breath, straightened up, sniffed, and smiled at her. Rose, dumbfounded and nervous, stood where she was in the kitchen. The Doctor's smile widened more as he looked at Rose. As he took a few steps forward, Rose watched as he scanned the room, smiling, as though he was just seeing it for the first time. When he was standing in front of her, his smile, somehow, widened more.

"Rose." He breathed.

He grabbed her in for a hug, which Rose responded to hesitantly.

"Doctor?" asked Rose, who was still at lost as to what was going on.

"Rose, it's me. The Doctor. Well, maybe. Well, kinda. Well, I don't really know how much, but it's me."

Rose pulled back a bit and looked up at her Doctor. He looked the same as the Doctor she'd been eating breakfast with, but yet he also didn't. She slowly eyed him up and down as she realized he held himself a different way, spoke differently in tone, and even his eyes looked different as though he'd aged during that episode. Rose swallowed and asked her Doctor, "What do you mean, it's you? Weren't you you just a moment ago?"

The Doctor's smile softened, "Technically, I was. But I felt a disturbance in the void, and that's when we both saw the scattered regeneration atoms. The thing though is, before those atoms got inside of me, I felt a source in them. They weren't from our universe, that was obvious, but they contained the remains of a biological identity. When those atoms then went inside of me, I recognized the identity of my tenth regeneration. Which leaves only one thing. Myself, the Doctor-self, in the parallel universe was regenerating. And his scattered atoms as he was regenerating, were all collected, jumbled up, and sent through to another universe to be with you."

The Doctor gently grabbed Roses hands into his as he finished.

"Rose, I was dying in that world, and I got sent here to be a more complete version of me for you."

As the Doctor took a deep breath, waiting for her reaction, Rose was piecing it together.

"So, in my home universe, you were dying?"

As the Doctor nodded, Rose continued, "and while you were regenerating, you sent your atoms over to yourself here, like you did with your hand back on Earth after the Dalek shot you?"

Chuckling softly and nodding, the Doctor agreed.

"Which means," Rose said as she pieced it all together, "you're still human, you've only got one heart cause this body is the meta-crisis body, yeah? But you also have your full mind and spirit of your Time Lord life…"

Rose paused and looked up hopefully at him.

"You're my Doctor made human."

"I'm your Doctor made human."


End file.
